| | County Economic Status, FY 2026 | Three-Year Average Unemployment Rate, 2021–2023 | Per Capita Market Income, 2023 | Poverty Rate, 2019–2023 | Three-Year Avg. Unemp. Rate, Percent of U.S. Avg., 2021–2023 | Per Capita Market Income, Percent of U.S. Average, 2023 | PCMI, Percent of U.S. Avg., Inversed, 2023 | Poverty Rate, Percent of U.S. Average, 2019–2023 | Composite Index Value, FY 2026 | Index Value Rank (of 3,106 counties in U.S., 1 is the best), FY 2026 | Quartile (1 is the best), FY 2026 |
|
| United States | - | 4.2% | $57,066 | 12.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian Region | - | 3.8% | $41,089 | 14.3% | 91.6% | 72.0% | 138.9% | 114.6% | - | - | - |
| North Carolina | - | 4.0% | $49,046 | 13.2% | 95.1% | 85.9% | 116.4% | 105.8% | - | - | - |
| Appalachian North Carolina | - | 3.8% | $40,589 | 14.3% | 90.6% | 71.1% | 140.6% | 114.8% | - | - | - |
|
| County |
| Alexander | Transitional | 3.6% | $35,370 | 12.1% | 85.2% | 62.0% | 161.3% | 97.0% | 114.5 | 1,521 | 2 |
| Alleghany | At-Risk | 4.4% | $29,757 | 17.4% | 104.6% | 52.1% | 191.8% | 139.7% | 145.4 | 2,448 | 4 |
| Ashe | Transitional | 3.5% | $31,979 | 14.1% | 83.2% | 56.0% | 178.4% | 112.9% | 124.9 | 1,882 | 3 |
| Avery | Transitional | 3.5% | $36,040 | 11.0% | 82.3% | 63.2% | 158.3% | 88.1% | 109.6 | 1,349 | 2 |
| Buncombe | Transitional | 3.3% | $52,742 | 11.8% | 78.5% | 92.4% | 108.2% | 94.6% | 93.8 | 817 | 2 |
| Burke | Transitional | 3.8% | $32,960 | 17.9% | 90.2% | 57.8% | 173.1% | 144.1% | 135.8 | 2,210 | 3 |
| Caldwell | Transitional | 4.0% | $31,754 | 12.7% | 95.1% | 55.6% | 179.7% | 101.9% | 125.6 | 1,908 | 3 |
| Catawba | Transitional | 3.8% | $43,319 | 12.8% | 91.1% | 75.9% | 131.7% | 103.0% | 108.6 | 1,324 | 2 |
| Cherokee | At-Risk | 4.3% | $23,293 | 14.6% | 103.3% | 40.8% | 245.0% | 117.5% | 155.3 | 2,666 | 4 |
| Clay | Transitional | 4.3% | $27,844 | 13.5% | 101.3% | 48.8% | 204.9% | 108.3% | 138.2 | 2,274 | 3 |
| Cleveland | Transitional | 4.2% | $31,903 | 17.2% | 100.6% | 55.9% | 178.9% | 138.5% | 139.3 | 2,306 | 3 |
| Davie | Transitional | 3.6% | $49,097 | 10.0% | 86.6% | 86.0% | 116.2% | 80.2% | 94.4 | 839 | 2 |
| Forsyth | Transitional | 4.1% | $47,547 | 14.7% | 97.3% | 83.3% | 120.0% | 118.1% | 111.8 | 1,428 | 2 |
| Graham | Transitional | 5.6% | $27,481 | 8.7% | 132.8% | 48.2% | 207.7% | 69.9% | 136.8 | 2,241 | 3 |
| Haywood | Transitional | 3.5% | $36,852 | 11.3% | 83.4% | 64.6% | 154.8% | 90.6% | 109.6 | 1,352 | 2 |
| Henderson | Transitional | 3.4% | $43,462 | 11.7% | 81.0% | 76.2% | 131.3% | 93.8% | 102.0 | 1,104 | 2 |
| Jackson | At-Risk | 4.0% | $33,514 | 19.3% | 96.1% | 58.7% | 170.3% | 155.2% | 140.5 | 2,343 | 4 |
| Macon | Transitional | 3.7% | $35,839 | 14.4% | 86.9% | 62.8% | 159.2% | 115.7% | 120.6 | 1,744 | 3 |
| Madison | Transitional | 3.6% | $32,119 | 11.4% | 86.7% | 56.3% | 177.7% | 92.0% | 118.8 | 1,681 | 3 |
| McDowell | Transitional | 3.8% | $30,469 | 14.0% | 89.8% | 53.4% | 187.3% | 112.3% | 129.8 | 2,048 | 3 |
| Mitchell | Transitional | 4.3% | $30,933 | 13.0% | 103.4% | 54.2% | 184.5% | 104.1% | 130.7 | 2,072 | 3 |
| Polk | Transitional | 4.0% | $49,248 | 13.7% | 94.1% | 86.3% | 115.9% | 109.7% | 106.6 | 1,254 | 2 |
| Rutherford | At-Risk | 5.3% | $28,248 | 17.6% | 126.2% | 49.5% | 202.0% | 141.4% | 156.6 | 2,691 | 4 |
| Stokes | Transitional | 3.6% | $34,232 | 12.0% | 85.6% | 60.0% | 166.7% | 96.2% | 116.2 | 1,585 | 3 |
| Surry | Transitional | 3.7% | $36,030 | 16.7% | 87.8% | 63.1% | 158.4% | 134.1% | 126.8 | 1,952 | 3 |
| Swain | Transitional | 3.6% | $35,104 | 21.1% | 85.5% | 61.5% | 162.6% | 169.2% | 139.1 | 2,301 | 3 |
| Transylvania | Transitional | 3.6% | $43,583 | 14.2% | 86.4% | 76.4% | 130.9% | 113.9% | 110.4 | 1,371 | 2 |
| Watauga | Transitional | 3.4% | $42,023 | 24.7% | 79.8% | 73.6% | 135.8% | 198.4% | 138.0 | 2,269 | 3 |
| Wilkes | Transitional | 4.2% | $32,957 | 16.4% | 99.1% | 57.8% | 173.2% | 132.0% | 134.8 | 2,181 | 3 |
| Yadkin | Transitional | 3.6% | $35,296 | 13.6% | 86.0% | 61.9% | 161.7% | 109.6% | 119.1 | 1,691 | 3 |
| Yancey | Transitional | 3.7% | $28,927 | 14.9% | 88.0% | 50.7% | 197.3% | 119.7% | 135.0 | 2,191 | 3 |
